Playoff hockey is back, Blade City!
The Saskatoon Blades qualified for the 2025 WHL Playoffs presented by Nutrien with a 4-1 win against the Prince Albert Raiders on Saturday night.
Calgary Flames prospect Hunter Laing found the back of the net twice for his fourth multi-goal game of the season. Goaltender Ethan McCallum turned aside 21 of 22 Raiders shots to gain his 11th win of the season.
One season removed from winning the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy as WHL regular season champions, the new-look Blades have adopted a never-say-die attitude in another push for a top finish in the East Division.
Career Blade Tyler Parr is the first Saskatoon skater to surpass 50 points this season while also passing 100 career points and 200 games played.
Veteran Rowan Calvert breezed past the 20-goal mark for the first time this season, while NHL Draft-eligible import David Lewandowski is buzzing with 10 goals and 20 assists in his first North American season. The German product also got a boost from representing his country for the first time at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship.
The 2025 WHL Trade Deadline saw the Blades bring in 6-foot-6 Hunter Laing, who has brought a domineering presence and a goal-scoring touch to the Bridge City.
Breakout rookie Cooper Williams has also been a bright spot for the team with 48 points (17G-31A) to sit fourth in scoring among all first-year players.
On the blueline, Captain Ben Saunderson and veteran Grayden Siepmann are enjoying career-best seasons with both rearguards surpassing 30 points.
2024 WHL Rookie of the Year nominee Evan Gardner has continued to excel in his sophomore season while managing an increased workload.
The Columbus Blue Jackets prospect is closing in on a second 20-win season while maintaining the fourth-best save percentage (.912) among all starting netminders.
This marks the sixth consecutive season the Blades have qualified for the postseason.
Saskatchewan finished first in the regular season and clinched the franchise’s 10th East Division title in 2023-24 after a monster 50-win campaign.
The Blades have previously won the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy in 2010-11, 1987-88, 1982-83 and 1972-73, though the team is still on the hunt for its first Ed Chynoweth Cup.
Saskatoon will close the regular season with a final Highway 11 throwdown against the division-leading Prince Albert Raiders on Saturday, March 22.
Puck drops on the 2025 WHL Playoffs on Friday, March 28.
